SENDIASS Family Partnership (Staffordshire)

SENDIASS are the Information, Advice and Support Service for Staffordshire. We offer a free service to parents, carers, children and young people.  We provide an impartial and confidential service on matters relating to a child or young person’s special educational needs or disability from birth to 25 years. We provide information, advice and support covering education, health and social care issues.

Staffordshire SENDIASS is a statutory arms-length service jointly commissioned by Staffordshire County Council and the Integrated Care Board (ICB).  For more information please visit our page on the Local Offer.

Staffordshire Parent Carer Forum

Staffordshire Parent Carer Forum (Staffs PCF) is an independent organisation run by volunteers who are all parents or carers of children and young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).   We know how difficult it can be to navigate “the system” to ensure the best provision and outcomes for our children and we are working hard to improve this.

Staffs PCF is funded by the Department of Education.  We belong to a national network of Parent Carer Forums.  We are totally independent from schools, the Local Authority and the NHS, but we work closely with them.

We aim to build a wide and representative membership and work in partnership with families of children with SEND aged 0-25.   By sharing the collective voice of families, we are able to work in coproduction with service commissioners and providers, so that we can best meet the needs of our children, young people and their families.  For more information please visit our page on the Local Offer.

How do SENDIASS and Staffs PCF engage and work together?

SENDIASS and the Staffs PCF come together through the membership of the SENDIASS Advisory Group.  We give regular updates as a ‘voice’ for our parents, carers, children and young people in relation to special educational needs and disabilities.  We also review progress on matters arising which enables us to work together to raise concerns with the Local Authority and the Integrated Care Board (ICB), to influence policy decisions and recommend improvements for change to support those accessing the SEND system.

SENDIASS and the Staffs PCF also meet on a regular basis to work on joint areas of interest such as events, or to discuss government or local authority policy and projects arising with partners.  

SENDIASS - Please note individual cases are not discussed this remains completely confidential to our service.

Staffs PCF - Parent and carer feedback is important, the data we collect will be used to shape our work and share with the relevant parties. The voice of parents and carers will always be anonymised, and personal details will not be shared.